


Officer Delicate

by canufeelthemagictonight



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Backstory, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Corruption, Despair, Gen, Minor Character Death, Minor Relationships, Police, Suicidal Thoughts, Unhappy Ending, Unrealistic Expectations, Violence, crushed dreams, never meet your heroes kids they'll only let you down, putting the police on an unhealthy pedestal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 11:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19425376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/pseuds/canufeelthemagictonight
Summary: Being a police officer is the only dream that Wilmer's ever allowed himself to keep.An alternate backstory for the Strong Man, now with 100% less pettiness and racist undertones.An Escape the Night one-shot.





	Officer Delicate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CinderScoria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinderScoria/gifts).



> My friends and I have spent some time talking about how Wilmer's backstory...wasn't the greatest, in more ways than one. So I have taken the liberty of rewriting said backstory for your entertainment. Hope you enjoy!

Being a police officer is the only dream that Wilmer's ever allowed himself to keep.

He's had a rough life. From the murder of both his parents when he was only four, to the abusive orphanage he was forced to spend the majority of his childhood in, to the apathetic foster family he lived with from age fifteen to age eighteen, to his current dirt-cheap barely-a-home...happiness always seems to be something that's just out of his reach. To make matter worse, he's small, weak, and skinny, which causes the bullies of Everlock to see him as an easy target. He has no friends. He has no family. He has no one who cares for him. He is, to put it bluntly, meaningless.

But if he was a police officer, he'd be strong. Maybe not physically, since he can't overcome years of malnourishment _that_ easily, but he'd be one of the elite defenders of Everlock. Police officers are tough, resilient, fair, and absolutely _fearless;_ in short, they're everything that Wilmer admires. Once he gets his pasty hands on a police badge of his own, no one will ever make fun of him again. They'll all see him as a hero, just like he sees the police as heroes, and he'll repay their faith in him by cleaning up the town so that no more kids have to endure what he endured. He'll bring justice to Everlock, and he'll get his own justice in the process.

Now that he's turned twenty-one, he's old enough to apply for a job at the Everlock Police Department. Today's the day. He's _so_ nervous, but at the same time, he's never been more ready.

The receptionist, an especially pretty girl around his age whose name tag identifies her as _Veronica,_ discreetly hides her bottle of beer when she sees him enter the police station. "Good evenin'." She's trying to sound friendly, but she's already tipsy enough to slur her words. "May I help ya?"

"Yes, hi, my name is Wilmer Jones," says Wilmer in his best Professional Voice. "I'm looking for a job as a police officer here in Everlock."

"Officer, huh?" Veronica smiles. Even though she's buzzed from the beer, her smile is right up there between a sunset and a lightbulb on Wilmer's list of the brightest things he's ever seen. "Good for ya. God knows we need some good cops. All we've got right now 'r drunken bums. Hell, look at _me."_ She involuntarily waves a hand at her hidden beer bottle. "I'm a mess. Maybe someone oughta clean me up."

Wilmer isn't quite sure what she means by that, but he stays focused. "So who do I have to talk to?"

"Chief o' Police, prob'bly, I dunno," mutters Veronica bitterly.

"Can you get him for me, please?"

Veronica nods, then hollers "Ey, Chief! Someone hear to see ya!" over her shoulder.

"Be there in a minute, sugar," growls a clearly intoxicated voice from the back room. "I'm about to win this hand of poker."

This causes Veronica to roll her eyes. "Like I said," she confides to Wilmer, "drunken bums."

 _They're not bums!_ Wilmer wants to protest. _They're keepers of the peace! So what if they get a little drunk once in a while? After all they do for us, they deserve some time to themselves!_ But he doesn't want to upset Veronica, so he stays quiet.

Ten minutes later, the Chief of Police himself arrives, along with two other officers. Chief Patrick Randall is six-four; he has a bushy red beard and a beefy body that's bulging with muscles. His two fellow officers, whose names Wilmer doesn't know, are also quite tall and well-built. All three are obviously drunk. Wilmer snaps to attention, honored to be in the presence of such great men.

"Chief," says Veronica, "this is Wilmer, 'n he wants to know how to be one of you guys 'r something."

Chief Randall gives Wilmer a cursory glance before bursting into raucous laughter. _"This_ shrimp? One of _us?"_

The accompanying officers also laugh.

The insult and the laughter all sting a little, but Wilmer isn't cowed. "Chief Randall, it's always been my dream to join the force," he says, trying to sound as strong and brave as possible. "I want to—"

"Here's a hint, kid," snorts Chief Randall. "No one gives a _shit_ about your dreams or what you wanna do. This force needs _strong_ men, and you..." He laughs even harder. "Hell, I think you'd die if I so much as _pinched_ you wrong!"

"He'd get blown over by a _breeze!"_ snickers one of the officers.

The other officer, who seems a _lot_ more hammered than the others, burps twice before adding his input. "Officer...Officer _Weak."_ He grins as if he's told the best joke ever. "Officer Fragile. Officer Delicate."

Veronica shoots Wilmer a look of sympathy before reopening her bottle of beer.

 _This can't be happening._ It's taking all of Wilmer's willpower to keep from crying in front of his old heroes. _These are men of justice. They're not supposed to make fun of me!_ "I know I'm weak," he stammers, "but I'm smart. I can learn. I want to uphold justice in Everlock, it's my reason for living, _please_ just give me a chance so I can—"

Chief Randall is quick to interrupt him, and this time, his tone is close to angry. "No. Forget it. Not happening. You will _never_ be a police officer, no matter _how_ much you whine about it. You're too weak. Now, do us all a favor and fuck off out of this station before we _throw_ you out."

He raises his hand to emphasize his threat. Wilmer is reminded of the orphanage, and he flinches.

"Aw, lookit, Chief," giggles the drunkest officer. "He's _scared._ Baby. Scared little baby. Go run home 'n cry to your mama, baby! Go! Goodbye!"

"You don't gotta be such _assholes!"_ snaps Veronica.

Wilmer can't take it anymore. He runs out of the station, and only when he's miles away does he finally let tears run down his face. _They don't want me._ His inadequate hands shake as he rubs his puffy eyes. _I'm not good enough for them. They think I'm worthless just like everyone else._

And now...what's the point? His dream is gone. The police department murdered the only thing that was keeping him from falling into despair. Now that there's nothing left for him, maybe it would be better if he just gave up completely. A dead Wilmer Jones wouldn't be as much of a burden to Everlock as the living one is now.

When he gets home, the Carnival Master steps up to promise him the strength he's always longed for.

Two days later, the bodies of every officer on the force (including Chief Patrick Randall) are found scattered around the perimeter of the police station. All of them have been beaten to death. Everyone knows who the culprit is, but there's no one left to bring him to justice.

The Strong Man, formerly known as Wilmer Jones, becomes the only police officer in all of Everlock.

He doesn't believe in justice anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> The best part of this is, you can totally replace the canon backstory with this new one, and it'll (hopefully) make just as much sense!


End file.
